The Wind Bride
by SugarMech
Summary: Vaati finally has everything he ever wanted, but still isn't happy. With Link cursed, Princess Zelda hasn't got much going for her. She has no choice but to attempt to show Vaati the light of love before Hyrule is swallowed by his evil heart completely.
1. prologue ::

Some notes first, if you please.

This fanfiction is based on _Minish Cap_. Other games may be slightly incorporated along the way, yet it happens a few years after the events of Minish Cap.

If you have not played this game, but have played Four Swords or Four Swords Adventures, please note that **Vaati has a human form** in this game. If you have no idea who Vaati is, you may find out more about him by visiting the site link in my profile. Take my word for it, he's gorgeous. :)

That's all, thanks.

_The Wind Bride_ / Prologue

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That music again…

It had all seemed to start three years exactly after the fall of the Wind Sorcerer who had once placed a powerful curse on the castle and all who lived there.

But that was all in the past now.

The princess Zelda turned in her bed and screwed up her eyes as tight as she could. She heard this song many times throughout the years; even more so recently it seemed, as almost every night at 12 O clock, a beautiful, melodic tune rang throughout the castle. She had no idea who its player was, but they had the most masterful skills with the harp.

She had asked many times to many people in the castle who was playing this music, but none of them ever had a reply. It seemed she was the only person who ever heard it. Maids and guards alike had looked at her as if she were mad and although she had told Link about it, there was nothing he could do to help. Perhaps she had never gotten up to investigate because she was afraid of what she might find. Perhaps she would find nothing at all, just an empty music, proving her crazy as some of the palace doctors were beginning to think of her.

That was until that one night…

This night it was different, as well as the tone, a voice rang out along with it. It wasn't loud or overbearing, but controlled and harmonious. The lyrics however, she couldn't make out. Maybe they were in another language. Narrowing her eyes, she attempted to work out who it could be. The voice was most unquestionably male, but there was a soft rhythm to it, a beauty that no mortal male could possibly reproduce.

It was incredible. And it was calling her.

Unable to take it anymore, Zelda rose from her bed, wrapping her night robe around herself to protect her delicate skin from the freezing winds which sometimes blew in the corridors. Especially on a night such as this, where gales howled and sung through the tree branches and the rain pounded at the windows as if trying to join in the music she heard. It all seemed strangely fitting.

Lighting the lantern beside her, she picked it up and left the safety of her bedroom, locking it and pocketing the key, although she didn't know why. There wasn't any point after all. It shone a dim light around the corridor, as the wind kept the flame to a minimal. She attempted to shield it with her hand and looking around quickly to check there was nobody there, she began her journey.

The music sounded louder out here, the great stone corridors seemed to echo the sound waves in all directions, but even through this she could tell where it was coming from. The music room. She knew that harp, she had tuned it herself and played it almost every day. The winds seemed to urge her forwards as she continued towards the music room slowly, down corridors, great staircases, past statues of noble unicorns and brave lions, past door after door, window after window, until she finally came to the doors of the music room. Gazing at it for a while, the princess bit her lip and questioned whether she should really go inside.

The voice continued to sing its amazing song, patient and unceasing. The owner knew she was outside, she was sure of it. Taking a deep breath, she opened one of the doors a little and peeked inside.

Nothing.

The music and singing had stopped. The only thing in the music room now was a slightly open window allowing the breeze to flow in. A deathly silence hung in the air and she whimpered, wondering if she had been dreaming everything. Quietly closing the door again, she retreated back to the safety of her room.

The next few days seemed to pass in a blur, she even lost concentration in her music lessons. The harp she practised on was the very same harp she had heard the ghostly music coming from that night. It was distracting somehow, as if she were playing a cursed instrument.

Most of her time was spent wondering the music room with several books she had taken with her, yet every time she settled to read one she couldn't keep focused. She kept thinking about that beautiful music and the silky voice that accompanied it. It was as though she didn't know what she was doing anymore. Every time somebody asked if she was okay, she would simply nod dreamily, yet her pounding headache reminded her that she in fact not okay at all.

There was no music for six nights. She even went down to the music room at midnight once to see if anybody was there, but there was no one. No melody. No wind. Nothing had been moved or looked unusual. The harp still stood there waiting for somebody to play on it and the room was eerie in its silence.

It was on the seventh night of sleepless tossing and turning that she heard a faint tune echo throughout her bedroom and her eyes opened instantly.

Only moments later and she had peeled the covers back, pulling her robe over herself again and bounding out of the room without even taking the lantern. She stumbled in the darkness and fell, gasping as she landed with an uncomfortable crunch. Picking herself up, she regained her breath before shaking her head and taking off down the hallway again in a swift sprint.

She had to find out who was making that wonderful music; it couldn't possibly get away from her this time. She had to know. She _had_ to.

Reaching the music room, she bit her lip and leaned forward to touch the door. However before her fingers so much as touched the oak, the door clicked and opened itself with a creak, which made her jump back in alarm. Biting her lip, she gazed in through the open door, half expecting the music to stop. It didn't however, for its owner hadn't seemed to have noticed her yet, or if he did he didn't show it. Her eyes strained to work out who the stranger was, but she saw nothing but a silhouette for his face. The curtains were half open, flooding moonlight onto where the harp stood on the marble floor and although most of the musician was sheltered in the shadows, she could clearly see a pair of hands coming from beneath a soft blue tunic, a pair of pale and talented hands, with long fingers and feminine nails that plucked at the harps strings with astonishing capability.

Who could it possibly be?

Zelda took another step into the room and shut the door behind her, being as silent as she could. Placing the lantern on the small table next to her, she dared herself further and further forward, clinging to her robe as she approached. The stranger seemed to have a cool wind blowing around him and although he had stopped singing by now, he still continued to play. Play that masterful tune.

The princess was rooted to the spot, all her instincts screamed at her to run, to get out of there while she still had a chance, but no matter how much she willed herself her body refused to respond. Opening her mouth to ask who he was, she found her voice was nothing but a silent breath. Instead, she only gazed as the stranger turned into the light and allowed his eyes to meet hers, never once letting his fingers trail off from the strings.

He had the most attractive face, one that perhaps even rivalled hers, with fine long silver hair that seemed to shimmer by the light of the moon. His smile was pleasant and his expression welcoming. But his eyes…

He had the most evil eyes she had ever seen. They were a deep scarlet, with a small black pupil and all the hate of the world circulating within them. Even though the rest of him was somewhat lovely, his eyes filled her soul to the brim with terror. Biting her lip again, she looked on in silence.

This man… she knew this man. But he couldn't be unsealed, he couldn't _possibly_ be…

"Who… are you…?" she finally managed to stutter.

The man seemed to ignore her for a little while, still playing on the harp, although it was almost dead in her ears now.

"You know who I am." He replied at long last.

She had no reply.

They were silent again for what seemed like hours, although in reality it was only a few minutes. The wind mage had turned his attention back to the strings of the harp and was slowly but surely changing his melody, until it was something completely different, but still just as sweet to her ears.

She watched him as he played, until eventually her gaze wondered to his face. His skin looked smooth, his features were well defined and his lips seemed somewhat inviting. As she stared, even the evil in his eyes seemed to melt away. Taking another step closer, her hands almost took control of themselves, gripping onto the material of the cloak he wore around his shoulders. They felt up his back, past his shoulders and to the pin that held the cloth to his body. With half closed eyes, she watched it fall to the floor with a gentle clatter, the material falling to his feet.

The wind mage made a quiet sound, but whatever it was, it wasn't one of protest. Still he didn't look at her, concentrating on nothing but his music, no matter what the princess was doing. She stood in silence and stared at the cloak on the floor, half wondering why she had done such a thing. Her head felt fuzzy and she was beginning to find it difficult to concentrate. Quietly kneeling down, she picked up the pin from the floor and gripped it tightly in her hand, gazing at his soft flesh as the sharpened metal felt cool in her grip.

Before she could act on the thought however, she found her eyes were wondering the mages frame again; such a beautiful, delicate frame. It never occurred to her when she was young and innocent just how gorgeous this man was. But now she was older she realised, her hormones practically becoming her puppet master and compelling her to touch him.

Taking another step forward, she became braver and obeyed the orders of her body and another strange feeling that was slowly edging itself over her with every note he played. She rested her face against his back and inhaled the musky aroma of his body. Her fingers trailed through the mage's silky locks, entwining them around themselves as her cheek nuzzled against his shoulder almost lovingly.

Seconds later, she seemed to snap back into her senses and forced herself out of his trance, backing away slowly until she was at a reasonably safe distance in her eyes.

"What are you doing to me…?"

The wind mage smiled softly and gazed at her, his hair gently flowing in a wind that she herself couldn't feel. He allowed his fingers to leave the strings of the harp, leaving his cape where it was and slowly beginning to approach her, yet he did not reply. She felt a cool wind blow around her and backed further away from him, as if trying to block out the others presence.

"How did you come back? What do you want with me…?"

Her voice was so quiet that it was practically a whisper. Vaati slowly licked his velvet soft lips and took a step forward each time she took a step back.

"You've grown up to be an exceptionally beautiful young lady…" He reached forward and Zelda found herself pressed against the freezing wall, shying away from his poison touch as best he could.

"Don't touch me you--!"

She was silenced as the mage lowered himself, allowing his cool lips to brush her own. His arms wrapped around her delicate waist as he licked along her bottom lip to sample her. Her body was frozen in a mixture feeling of terror and seduction and her grip on the cloak broach tightened. As his tongue gently slid itself into her open mouth, her body seemed to find motivation and with a shriek, her hand shot out, delivering a hard, swift slap across his cheek.

He pulled away in surprise, his hand rising to nurse the spot that now ached painfully. The princess was stronger than she looked.

Zelda leaped back and ran half way across the room before turning and glaring at him, half angrily and half in terror. She barely had time to think of what she was doing before hurling the broach at him in a fit of panic. The pin span in the air as it flew towards him and stuck within the exposed flesh on his shoulder.

The mage blinked, his gaze passing across to her and his head tilting. After a few moments, he slowly pulled the pin from his shoulder and allowed it to fall to his feet noiselessly. There was a thin trickle of blood seeping from the wound, but he didn't seem at all bothered about it.

"Did you think I was dead, your majesty? Did you believe I would depart from this world empty handed?"

"Get away from me!" she hissed threateningly as he began to step towards her again. The sorcerer ignored her of course, his eyes glazed over with a look of lust as he scanned her body again, admiring her with a contented expression on his face. As he approached, she went to dive out of his reach, meaning to run out of the door and as far away from this dangerous monster as possible.

Yet as she reached the great oaken doors and tugged desperately at the handle, she found they would not open. Becoming frantic, she clawed at the lock, pleading with it to open and allow her to escape. All that answered her was the faint glow of a single eye insignia that protected the lock with a powerful seal.

Glancing behind her, she noted that the man still approached her, although now mockingly slowly, as if enjoying her futile struggle to escape. Shaking her head and gathering up her magical abilities, she attempted to counter the seal with her own spell of light. The seal flickered, but stood fast. Frenziedly, she tried again and again, as many times as she possibly could before he could reach her.

Yet as there was a gentle click of the door unlocking, she felt her arm gripped and her body pulled violently away from the now open door. His strong arms pulled her to his warm chest and wrapped around her in such a way she couldn't get free.

"That light force of yours has become just as powerful as you have beautiful, princess."

Zelda whimpered and attempted pointlessly to struggle from his grasp, but he only held her tighter and more protectively.

"I'm rather impressed that you could break my seal like that…" he continued, his hands beginning to gracefully trail through her golden locks. "You are a worthy lady, princess, but even you cannot possibly hold a power such as that. Maybe you should give it to somebody who could take much better care of it…"

His voice was eerily gentle and soothing, even as he spoke of her demise.

They stayed like this for a long while, before he finally moved his hand under the princess's chin and coaxed her to look at him, admiring her elegant features once more. Her eyes widened and he smiled, leaning down a little to brush a few strands of hair from her eyes. Staring at him brought her back so many memories, of his curse, what he had done to the castle, of the kidnapping. Everything…

Yet here he was now and she could barely even speak in his presence.

"Three strikes of the bell princess…" he whispered. "Do you remember? Oh, of course you don't…" a smirk crept across his face, "You were nothing but stone."

Attempting to struggle again, Zelda gave a shriek as she heard the palace bell sound. It echoed around the music room and rang in her ears, reminding her over and over that her fate was completely sealed.

The mage crept his hand over her mouth and held it there firmly so that she could not shriek again. "Shhhh…" he said softly, his other arm tightening its grip around her waist. "It's so horrible when you scream. I'm not going to kill you, it would be such a waste. You're too _beautiful_ to waste..."

Zelda could only stare at him in terror as the bell sounded the second time.

"No…" the sorcerer mumbled into her ear. "I shall make you my bride. Surely you are the only lady in this land worthy enough of such an honour."

She whimpered, a tear trickling from the corner of her eye, which the man gently wiped away with his thumb. This time, as she saw him lean down to claim her lips again, there was no mental resistance at all. Her body pressed against his as she just gave up all hope, so as she felt his lips tease her own, she allowed her eyes to close and his tongue to gently enter her mouth. The kiss was cool and compassionate, his tongue wrapping around hers before leading it into a dance which claimed her mouth completely. For such a dark fate, this soothing act almost calmed her.

Pulling away, he guided a single hand up to her hair and gently teased her head back to expose her throat to him. Moving it down again, he took hold of her gown and slid it from her back, leaving her in only a paper thin night dress.

"Say my name princess…" he half sang, his lips trailing across her neck before teasing her collar bone as she sighed unhappily beneath him.

The princess let out a whimper, her fingers gripping the material of his tunic so tight that her skin paled. After a few more seconds of his silent persistence, she finally tilted her head back and mumbled his name quietly.

"Again," he trailed small kisses from her throat to her ear and nibbled the lobe gently. "Say it again, prove to me you know who I am. Prove to me you know exactly who is doing this to you."

Zelda choked back a sob.

"Vaati…"

The final bell sounded, the noise sweeping through the castle like a curse. Her fingers released their iron grip on his cloak as an exhausted feeling swept through her body. Her body seemed to give way under her and she found herself collapsing in his arms. It didn't hurt, but it seemed as though all the energy had just been drained from her in such a short amount of time, leaving her only with a tingling feeling.

"Good girl…" Vaati whispered almost mockingly, "That wasn't too bad was it?"

Zelda opened her mouth to reply, yet as she tried to speak her voice would not respond. Her eyelids felt heavy, the room… the room span around her… All she could hear was the eerie quiet laughter of the wind sorcerer, which echoed within her ears before she fell into a dreamless sleep.

The sorcerer picked her up as gently as he could manage, not wishing to harm any of the delicate beauty which he cradled. Sitting once again next to the harp, he held her on his lap and levitated the Light Force within the palm of his hand, smiling blissfully as it shimmered a golden glow onto his face. Eight long years of death was suddenly worth it all for this one glorious moment.

But then of course he hadn't really died at all.

Placing his fingers back onto the harp strings, he once again began to play, a dark and melodic tune that chilled the very soul.

"This is the melody of your demise."

And as he played, a darkness swept over Hyrule.


	2. :: When all hope is lost

_The Wind Bride_ / Chapter one

. ------------- . : . ------------- .

_I haven't even… lived out half my life…_

Over the months, princess Zelda had gotten used to life in the darkened Hyrule castle. Of course she wasn't princess anymore, yet she was still referred to as such. She was allowed to roam where she pleased within the castle, although she knew it was only because Vaati had his constant eye on her. Even her attempting to escape would have been useless, as there was nowhere to escape to. Everywhere, every town and village, every inch of land was under the sorcerers control and the borders were well guarded.

All in all, life could have been a lot worse, however she wisely chose to spend most of her time in the wing that was dedicated to her. Although she knew she would not be harmed – indeed the only guard who had dared hurt her before suffered a miserable death at Vaati's hand – but there was still that constant feel of dread lingering in the air. Her master treated her well however, she ate with him and made nervous conversation in his presence. Yet he intimidated her and he knew it, lavishing in it, content in the knowledge that she would do anything he asked out of pure terror.

She would quietly wait in the rooms she was allowed to wonder, although what for she didn't really know. Each day that crept by was beginning to feel like an eternity to her and part of her was beginning to wish he had ended her life that night after all. She hadn't had any contact outside the castle and the thought of books bored her now. The only excitement she seemed to encounter was when her master came to see how she was.

He had acted so strangely to her since that night, although he retained this fascination with her. Indeed, he still enjoyed admiring her, staring at her for minutes at a time and running his fingers through her hair with pride at the thought she belonged to him, yet most of the time he kept his distance. There was no intimacy like there had been forced onto her the first night, no trailing lips, no cooling kisses.

'But of course there wouldn't be,' she mumbled inside her head. 'He only did that to try and frighten me after all.'

She was rather grateful he had dropped that act now.

Perhaps it was the thought that he had a renowned princess in his clutches that had prevented him from slaughtering her. The very princess that had escaped from him before. Keeping her locked up reminded her of the power he had over her now and it was disheartening to say the least.

She would freeze whenever he entered the room, the very thought of him being close would send shivers up her spine. Her body would grow stiff as he pulled her towards his chest and each stroke of his hand would cause her to quiver in terror. Even the sweet yet subtle scent of rain on roses that lingered wherever he would go failed to soothe her even a little. Perhaps the position of power he was in was doing him good, for he seemed so much healthier nowadays than he had before. His pale skin had become less septic and more milky in colour, even his lengthy silver hair had seemed dull and lifeless compared to what it was now. His appearance, in her mind, was disgustingly ironic.

He seemed to be visiting her more lately; perhaps he was becoming bored with his role of Overlord. After all, everything had gone to plan for the last few months or so. There was just no drama.

Not that she knew what she was to him anyway. Not a lover, she was not treated as such. Not a partner and not a whore, _certainly_ not a wife. No, she decided, no she was more like a…

…a trophy.

Sighing and placing a bookmark within the pages of the novel she read within the library, she shut the heavy cover and stared miserably towards the window. It was raining as usual, it seemed to nearly always rain now. If not rain, then at least a wretched grey sky and furious winds. It was as if Vaati willed them to stay there so that one would be reminded of who was in control each time the wind stung their cheek. Yes, she sighed, that was exactly what he was doing.

She looked angrily at the book she had been reading. Read, that was all she ever seemed to do lately. There was nothing else _to_ do. She was not allowed to leave the castle and Vaati would hate it to have her meddle with his affairs and would probably issue a nasty punishment. She shuddered, this way was boring but at least her safety was guaranteed.

At least, she thought it was.

Perhaps she should talk to him more; she stood up and wondered over to the window, too lost in her thoughts to really pay attention to the rose gardens outside. Perhaps he would learn to like her more if she showed more of an interest in what he was doing. But what was he doing - she peered through the window panes and sighed moistened clouds of breath on the glass - was torture. She really had no interest in helping with the terrorisation of thousands of innocent people.

'Still… better him than Ganondorf I suppose.'

Her mind wondered to thoughts of that evening. The princess had always had an outstanding voice, yet it seems that it had been pushed to its limits in the recent months. Once every five days she would have to sing a different song to him as he listened in blissful silence, one leg crossed over another and his chin on his hand. He would lean against the armrest and smile distantly. Yet he would never, never play his harp again.

She was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of a thump from the floor above her, followed by the howl of a Wolfos as it met an undeniably gruesome end. Perhaps the monsters were fighting again, she decided, or perhaps her master was bored. He usually found entertainment in ending the lives of random unfortunate living beings when he was bored.

What a disgusting pastime.

Shaking her head, she thought no more of it.

In the room above her, a young man gave a tug on the hilt of his sword, barely flinching as it removed with a slurp from the belly of the beast that he had just killed. Wrinkling his nose at the hideous smell of blood, he inspected the damage on the Wolfos and sighed. It had taken five strikes to take it down, so either they were a lot more difficult when roaming around the dark castle, or his fighting skills were getting rusty. Normally he would have brought it down in one.

They were more difficult, he decided, continuing his exploration to the next room. Definitely more difficult; not that he understood exactly why the Dark Lord had monsters in his castle, it wasn't as if anyone had the courage to attempt to invade anyway. At least, nobody but him and he had been fighting monsters for months, ever since Hyrule was plunged into darkness. Countless hours had been dedicated to keeping the savage beasts at bay and each night he had gazed longingly at the castle, wondering what was happening to their princess. Nobody had seen her since that night and it was quite apparent that the wind mage was fiercely protective of her.

Rumours of the Lord and his princess had been passed from one person to the next through the castle town. Some said he forced himself upon her while others claimed that she was quite in love with him. There were some that said she was kept locked up in one room of the castle and only he was allowed to set eyes on her beauty. Yet all of them agreed on one thing – only he was allowed to touch her.

Link refused to put his faith in mere gossip however. He knew what Vaati was like, having fought with him before, and although the man was power-hungry and destructive, he liked to keep people in their place by just frightening them and nothing more. He would want Zelda alive and healthy so he could parade her off to the town folk to remind them of just who their master was and what he had done. His mind twitched at the thought of the Lord touching her however, he wouldn't put that past him at all.

He wondered the next few rooms of the castle in silence. There was so much less security now than there had been. For months he hadn't even been able to get to the castle drawbridge, let alone this far into the complex. Pushing open another door, he drew his bow and aimed it inside, checking to see if it was clear before stepping in with a sigh. First so many monsters, now none at all. It was all a bit too strange for his liking.

Suddenly turning his head to the side, the hero stared suspiciously into the dark corner, swearing to himself he just heard a noise from that direction. After a few moments he shook his head, beginning to think he was going mad. As he went to leave the room, the noise sounded again and he turned on his heels, pointing an arrow in that direction with his eyes narrowing. The noise sounded like a whimpering, then a squeaking – an excited childlike squeaking. Or maybe it was… a sneeze?

"Achoo!"

Link let the arrow soar through the air and at the direction of the sound. There was an outraged squeal and there was a crunch as someone – or something – landed on the floor. Drawing another arrow, the blonde made his way over to it, hoping he hadn't just hit some randomly innocent Minish. Then again, there was hardly going to be any innocent Minish hanging around Vaati's castle anyway, or at least not _this_ far in. As far as Link was concerned however, it was actions first and then tackling the consequences afterwards.

Kneeling down, he poked at the tiny form on the floor. It was roughly the size of a Keese, with six small wings which appeared to be detached. Two small horns crowned its head, yet he couldn't work out any sort of face within the dark fur in the terrible lighting he was forced to rely on. He picked up the arrow from the floor and inspected it. It was bloodless, so whatever he had just hit, it had only stunned it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a rip on one of the creatures' left wings; it was only small, but large enough to cause hindrance to… he gazed at the creature suspiciously – to whatever it was.

Frowning, he turned the arrow to its feathered end and poked it curiously. It didn't work, so he poked again. After a few more moments of nothing, he turned the arrow to its point and once more gave the beast a gentle nudge with it.

"What is the source of this poking which pokes me so!"

Link jumped, staring down at where the creature had now opened its single large eye and was glaring angrily at him. It rose from the ground and flew close to his face, its tiny wings beating against each other to keep it in the air. Link instantly recognised it to be a miniature version of Vaati's final form and quickly recovered from the shock, swiping at it through the air in a futile attempt to grab it.

The demon raised itself out of his reach and hovered above him, tilting strangely to the left as a result of its torn wing. It flopped suddenly, but quickly regained its balance and rose once more out of the hero's reach.

"Foolish little fool!" it shrieked, "My eye of vision sees all of your everything! You have the stupidity of a small child who is stupid!"

Link swiped at it again frantically, but it fluttered around his head mockingly before suddenly souring off in the opposite direction lopsidedly, crashing into the doorframe with a nasty crunch that made the blonde wince. Grumbling bitterly, it shook the daze from itself before finally finding its way out of the room and leaving Link alone.

The hero blinked. Nothing happened and he blinked again. Then the events finally began to set in and he found himself panicking. That irritating little beast must have been one of Vaati's messengers, although it was so awfully clumsy that he had doubts about whether it could make it back to its master in one piece anyway.

Dashing into the direction in which the demon had headed, he made every attempt to keep up with the beast, but he had already lost it before he even began. The demon was nowhere to be found. Cursing himself, Link looked around the room in which he had ended up in silence. A long velvet curtain draped over a golden rail which was fixed from the tall ceiling, yet there was no window to cover. A single candle stand which stood lonely in the corner provided only a dim light, yet it was enough to show the sinister eye-like markings carved deeply into the stone of the castle walls. They reminded him of the messenger and he muttered, turning towards the handsome marble staircase on his left. Apart from a dead moth and an abandoned book left by the candle stand, it appeared to be the only other thing in this tiny room.

As he descended the staircase, the thickness in the air seemed to deteriorate and although the castle still looked the same as ever, it began to seem slowly less intimidating. He wondered the next few rooms in silence, filled with hope at each new room he came to. Having already checked the dungeons, he grew confident his princess had to be around here somewhere.

The princess jumped as the great door of the library began to open and she shut her book hurriedly. It was odd, she thought, that her master would call for her at this time. Surely it wasn't evening already?

She gazed out of the window and then up at the fancy and rather frightening looking clock on the wall and frowned a little. No, it was only around midday.

So why?

"Zelda…?"

The princess jumped again and turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the boy standing there. "What the-? Link? My goodness, is that you!"

At first her expression was ecstatic, her deadened eyes beginning to show a glint of hope at her friends' presence. But her excitement didn't last long and she sadly looked down at the floor, mumbling "You shouldn't be here…"

Link ignored her, taking hold of her wrist and pulling her away from the window. The book she had been holding fell to the floor, the pages bending as they pressed against the stone.

"Link, what are you doing!"

"Escape first, questions later," came the reply as he led her out of the room, gathering speed in order to get her safety as quickly as possible.

"But if Vaati finds us then-"

"Pffftt," he turned his head very briefly to look at her as he escorted her down a flight of steps. "I've beaten that albino freak before, I can do it again."

"But you don't understand! He's already extracted-"

"No time Zelda!"

He stopped in his tracks very suddenly, feeling the princess press against his back with a squeak as he ceased too fast for her.

"Which way?"

"I don't know. I'm not allowed in this part of the castle."

"Uhhh…" He looked left and then right. "That way!" He headed forward.

The princess looked around her as they hurried down the corridor. She had been in this certain part before, but only by escort. She had no idea which was the way out of the castle from here, but at least she knew they were on the ground floor.

"Link, I think we're headed the wrong way."

"No matter which way we go, it's gonna lead us outta here at one point or another. Trust me, I go in places like this all the time."

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that-"

"There!" the hero motioned to a particularly important looking door in front of them. "That's gotta be it, it has creepy looking statues and everything!"

At first she allowed herself to be led, but then her blood ran cold as she realised exactly where that door led to.

Right into the lions den.

"No!" she struggled against his grip as Link headed towards it, picking up speed. "Link, not there! That isn't the exit, that's--"

There was a crash as the door rumbled to a quick close behind them and Zelda held back a shriek. Casting a quick look around the room, she confirmed her surroundings and looked up to where her master sat on his altar, his arms hugging his one raised leg as he rested his chin on his knee. He seemed amused, if not a little surprised.

The demon Link had previously been trying to follow fluttered around the mages altar lopsidedly, the beats of his wings quickening pace with the hero's presence. It stared at him as it flew in continuous circles and Link was sure that if it had a mouth, it would be grinning. It was joined by a calmer, strangely female looking companion who didn't seem as excited to see him. It was as if she had seen it all before.

"Well now, this _is_ convenient."

Vaati stood up and brushed some of his silky silver strands from his eyes, only for them to fall back into place again. Even these simple actions made Links skin crawl, this was certainly the narcissist he had fought those eight years ago. He had almost forgotten just how much he hated him.

"I take it this is the one you were talking about?"

"Indeed!" the messenger squeaked, "He he he he tore my wing! He is the creep to rule all creeping creepy-crawlies! He is your favourite fizzy beverage gone flat!"

The female looked as though she were going to fall asleep.

The hero regained his composure and looked around the room warily. It was rounded, and the walls seemed to be made entirely of glass spilt into sections with pure white marble, which ran up to a ceiling Link figured must have been at least 150 foot up. Extensive, silken purple drapes had been allowed to fall over some, while others were left bare so the thick, brooding storm clouds could be admired from inside. Yet despite the immensely sized windows, the room still seemed incredibly dark. Candle stands with dancing purple flames gave a dim glow when natural light could not. The skies appeared darker here, more threatening… almost black.

It was cold, bitterly so. But Vaati liked it that way, even the very clothes he wore were designed so that the wind could flow through the soft folds as freely as possible.

The hero shivered, looking at his princess and noticing their breath misted in the freezing temperature. A bitter yet noiseless wind stung at their flesh the longer they stood there. She apparently didn't notice him, just gazing at the marble floor as if she knew she was in disgrace.

Vaati coughed to get their attention and the other man glared at him, only to receive an icy glance in return. Even the very look of the wind sorcerer made the hero feel colder than ever. The paler man beckoned towards Zelda and she hesitated, casting Link a desperate look before lowering her head and walking slowly towards her master. His arm held out to greet her and gripped her wrist as his other hand lifted her chin a little.

"Now now your majesty," he said in a soft, joking tone not dissimilar to a mother scolding a young child, yet his voice still held a subtle yet threatening air to it, "You should already know you cannot escape from me. Why, where would you go?"

She was silent, looking at the floor and suddenly feeling as though she were seven years old again.

"This castle is the safest place for you" he finished, giving her long hair a soft tug and turning away. Zelda bit her lip, she hated it when he scolded her like that. The very thought of being talked to like a young child irritated her and Vaati knew it. It was the very reason why he did it of course.

"As for you…" the wind mage eyed Link in disgust. "You infuriate me, you offend everything I stand for with your very presence…"

"You are that bit of bellybutton fluff that will not go away!" chimed in the demon.

"Be quiet!" Vaati barked and demon flew away a few meters, silencing.

"Is this the bit where you say you're unstoppable?" Link enquired.

"Silence!" The hero flinched as the mages cry made the winds outside beat at the windows furiously. "I have waited too long for this moment and this time 'hero', you don't have the Four Sword to assist you."

The hero blinked, then withdrew his sword from the sheath. It was the only sword he had, but Vaati was right. It wasn't the Four Sword at all, that had been placed back into the sanctuary eight years ago after the short lived peace had returned. As he pointed it at the mage threateningly, Zelda put her head in her hands in despair. She just couldn't watch…

The dark lord rolled his scarlet eyes and looked at his nails absentmindedly. "Sen?" he asked, not so much as looking up.

The female demon - who had until now been hovering around the altar aimlessly – looked at him, her wings quivering with apparent excitement at being addressed. "Yes m'lord?"

"What day is it?"

"It's uhh…" she hesitated, surprised at being asked such a random question. "It's…"

"Tuesday! It's Tuesday it's Tuesday it's Tuesday!" the other demon shrieked, fluttering first around Sen and then around his master in a fit of enthusiasm. "Tuesday is the most cunning day of the week! Tuesdays cunningly rule over all other cunning days that are cunning! Tuesdays-" Vaati stuck his fist out and the messenger soared awkwardly across the room, hitting the wall with a squeak.

"Indeed," he said coldly.

As Link pondered over whether it was standard for evil lords to have idiots as envoys, he noticed that Vaati had turned his attention away from his personal appearance and onto him, glaring at him with a wicked smile on his face.

"I love Tuesdays. Do you know why I love Tuesdays Luke?"

"It's Link," said Link. "And uhh…" he eyed the ball of magic the wind mage had just made appear in his hand. "I don't really care that much."

"I wouldn't expect anything more."

Link positioned his sword defensively, though in all truths he felt rather inadequate. He had beaten this mage before, he knew, but back then he had the goddess of fortune smiling blissfully in his direction particularly often. But this time there was no Ezlo to urge him on, there was no fancy equipment, there were no elements, no Four Sword and overall, there was no chance.

The sorcerer scoffed, "Do you really think that a sword such as that really has a chance against a god like myself!"

No, he decided. No, he didn't.

"You are _not_ a god…"

Link didn't know what hit him next. He didn't even see the ball of energy release from its creators palm. He was knocked to the side roughly as if something had just picked him up and thrown him, his sword spinning from his hands and impaling into the floor only inches away from where the male demon lay dazed. As he struggled to get up, he felt himself slip as if he were unable to hold himself up anymore He felt himself crushed, squeezed, pinched, pushed and hammered into the floor as if the weight of a thousand boulders had come down on him at once.

Attempting to look up, he could barely make out the form of Vaati and that of the terrified princess next to him between the hot flashes of white light that dashed over his eyes over and over again. The princess seemed to be screaming at the mage to stop this torment, but even his hearing was beginning to fail him now, the sounds of the world almost ceasing completely.

It was only then that the real agony started. It felt as though people had gotten hold of different parts of his body and was moulding him, crushing and shaping him into an unfamiliar form. His arms and legs went numb as the world around him suddenly seemed so much bigger, before the suddenly loud sounds of sobs from Zelda and giggles from one of the demons informed him that his hearing had not only returned, but was twice as sensitive. Even the room was beginning to smell mustier than he remembered it.

Then as quick as it had begun, the moulding ceased and the hero was left laying on the ground, in shame and in agony. It had lasted only seconds, but to Link it seemed like an eternity.

"What have you done to him…?" he heard the quiet, yet panicked voice of Zelda not too far away from him, her voice cracking as she forced out words. "What have you done to him…!"

Link attempted to speak, but all he could manage was a whimper like that of a wounded animal. Even he eyes couldn't open, it was as though he wanted to lay there and rest forever.

"I think he looks better."

"How could you _say_ that!"

Vaati ignored her. "Ramna, Sen. Show this little rat the castle door, if you please. He obviously couldn't find it himself last time."

The hero winced as he felt a pulse of greater pain run through his body, as if something had shocked him. He felt it again and it compelled him to get up, snapping in the direction where it came from.

There was a snicker from the male demon, who had apparently recovered, and again he felt a shock run through him. Seeing that the doorway was now opening, he forgot everything and just fled through it, through the corridors and away from the great room where his princess still stay captured. He wanted to slow down, but couldn't, the continuous jolts from the messengers that followed him forcing him to run faster and faster, even though he wanted to just collapse and let the pain subside. Their laughing pounded in his ears and he felt as though his heart had shifted to his throat.

Half of his mind screamed at him to go back to the great room and reclaim his princess. He couldn't possibly just leave her there in Vaati's clutches. What would he _do_ to her if the other just ran away?

But he still didn't stop, even when the castle drawbridge lowered to let him pass, even when he found himself in Hyrule field he didn't so much as slow down his pace.

It hurt too much.


End file.
